"The Standards and Practices Editor is a resource — someone to help [NPR staff] raise the right questions, involve the appropriate stakeholders and uphold our standards. ... Well-versed in the workings of our news operation, this editor is responsible for facilitating thoughtful, consistent ethical decision-making on any matter related to our journalism, whether it regards granting anonymity to a source or attending a charitable event.

"The Standards and Practices Editor is also charged with cultivating an ethical culture throughout our news operation. This means he or she coordinates regular training and discussion on how we apply our principles, monitors our decision-making practices to ensure we're living up to our standards, and oversees the continual development of the ethical guidelines collected in this handbook."

I'll do my best to fulfill those responsibilities.

Before heading off, though, I want to express my appreciation to everyone.

Thank you, Two-Way readers, for joining us as we navigate the news. Our mission, as we've said from the start, is to be "the place to come for breaking news, analysis and for stories that are just too interesting — or too entertaining — to pass up."

Judging from the traffic we get to the blog and the many comments our posts receive, we seem to have achieved our mission in the eyes of many readers. Thanks again for riding along.

Over the past five years, I hope you'll agree that we've done a credible job covering a wide variety of stories, including:

Once again, thanks. The blog is in good hands with Eyder Peralta, Scott Neuman, Bill Chappell and the other names you see here often. It also has the wise guidance of someone you probably don't know because she's behind the computer screen: editor Catherine Laidlaw.

Wish me luck in my new endeavor. I won't say goodbye because there's always the chance I'll be back and I just might pop into the Two-Way's comments threads every now and then.